Rivermen sign Pekin native Ruwe as first player of SPHL era

The Peoria Rivermen will travel quite a distance to face opponents in the Southern Professional Hockey League this fall.

But they didn't have to look far to find the first player of Peoria's SPHL era.

The Rivermen have signed veteran defenseman Cole Ruwe -- a Pekin native -- to a one-year deal.

Ruwe is a fifth-year pro who has played in the Central Hockey League and International Hockey League.

Dave Eminian

The Peoria Rivermen will travel quite a distance to face opponents in the Southern Professional Hockey League this fall.

But they didn't have to look far to find the first player of Peoria's SPHL era.

The Rivermen have signed veteran defenseman Cole Ruwe -- a Pekin native -- to a one-year deal.

Ruwe is a fifth-year pro who has played in the Central Hockey League and International Hockey League.

"I grew up watching the Rivermen play," said Ruwe, a product of the Pekin Youth Hockey League. "I was there the night they won the Kelly Cup in the ECHL in 2000. I saw (new Rivermen head coach) Jean-Guy Trudel play for Peoria in the ECHL and AHL, and I know him and was familiar with him.

"It was a perfect fit for me, and it's exciting. To be able to play for the Rivermen in front of my friends and family, it's something I've dreamed of."

Ruwe is a 6-foot-2, 205-pound defenseman who played four years at Nichols College in the ECAC. He also played junior hockey from 2002-03 through 2004-05 for the Peoria Mustangs, then coached by former Rivermen scrapper Kevin Lune.

Ruwe went on to play four seasons in the class-A Central Hockey League with Wichita, Missouri and Fort Worth. He notched 5 goals and 39 assists in 176 games in the CHL.

He played 71 games for Bloomington in the class-A IHL in 2009-10, and also played 10 games last season for Mississippi in the SPHL.

"I played in the SPHL during the (NHL) lockout," said Ruwe, 28. "You'll see a league with a lot of young guys who just missed a roster spot with a class-AA team and are hungry to play their way up there.

"You'll see some older guys, like me, who still have some drive and want to compete. Those SPHL games, I came away with the feeling those were really tough games. Guys battled."

Ruwe had options with teams in other leagues, but once Peoria's team was launched his decision was easy.

"Once we knew the Rivermen were a go, it was the place for me," Ruwe said. "These are players at this level who are going to be part of Peoria's community, they are going to be here.

"The fans will be able to get close to them, know them better, than they could with players in the AHL. These are great fans in Peoria, and I think we're going to make the game exciting again."

RIVER READINGS: The SPHL voted to adopt the no-touch icing rule during its summer meetings last week. ... SPHL sister team Bloomington has signed its first player -- Dennis Sicard. The 5-11, 183-pound winger piled up 259 penalty minutes in just 47 games last season with SPHL Augusta. ... Former Rivermen radio play-by-play man Brendan Burke is leaving Peoria in a few days. He has found a job with a team in a higher-level league. ... The ECHL Fort Wayne Komets have signed Gary Graham as their new head coach. Graham led Pensacola to the SPHL championship last season. ... SPHL Columbus coach and general manager Jerome Bechard had open-heart surgery in June to correct a congenital defect. He is recovering well. ... The Blues have given qualifying contract offers to 2012-13 Rivermen players Jake Allen, Evgeny Grachev, Phil McRae, Cade Fairchild and Tyler Shattock. That preserves St. Louis' negotiating rights with each player.

Dave Eminian covers the Rivermen for the Journal Star. Reach him at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.